Well, the nights are closing in, lamps have been fired up and thoughts are turning to putting the Guvnor away for the inclement weather ahead, but one last huzzah was on the cards. The December Velo Vintage soirée.

The Ladies and Gentlemen of the Assembly began to gather at the Grapevine Inn in Exmouth at around eleven ante-meridian, although a few had gathered a little earlier for a bite to eat and maybe a little warmer for the road.

Entering into The Grapevine to get our all important stamp in our cards we were greeted with the wonderful sight of period bunting and newspapers from a time when the Daily Mail contained news. With a little time to kill a few more names were put to faces as we recognised riders from previous events and of course the GA offered each other sound mechanical advice along with the morning’s recommended tipple.

With the inevitability of the GA completing a sportive, the Marshals marshalled and after a rousing send off from Roger, Exmouth’s Town Crier we made our way off through the town down to the Prom, but today it was not jaunty couples perambulating along the sea front but dapper ladies and gentlemen on various velocipede taking in the autumn sun.

A few photographs and off back up the hill into the Town Centre, thanks must here be given to the good people of Exmouth for the good humour and cheer they took an ambling peloton on a busy Saturday morning. On the outskirts of Exmouth it was time for the traditional tea stop, again the set dressers had excelled themselves decorating the village hall along with delicious home baked cakes a magnificent interlude was had, with the GA (Basket Brigade Division) scooping up “Best Hair and Hat” – Well done Mrs Adam.

The Copes are not a team to leave a gathering on a high after a tea break and when we finally headed back to The Strand we were greeted by hundreds of people watching us, a stage has been built, stalls put up and the promise of fireworks in the evening. Mr Cope mentioned something about a Christmas Fair, we do believe he was merely being modest.

Ride complete, the GA and marshals settled down to their Christmas meal in the Grapevine and some of the best live music we had heard in a long time.

Well, yet again we counted them all out and to nearly everyone’s surprise we counted them back in again.

Saturday the 23rd November 2013.

After an earlier gathering of several members of the GA the rest of the peloton met outside the previous nights lodgings in the picturesque Cheshire fishing village Stockport as ever an absolute joy renewing old and not so old acquaintances on a jolly fresh but sunny Saturday morning. About 10:13(ish) prompt we set off on our route, intending to take in some of the sites and history of the city that started the Industrial Revolution.

Cycling in most cities can be a little exciting at times and with this in mind a route had been plotted to take we gallant expeditionists into the city centre avoiding the worst of the traffic, but it may have resulted in a route that was a little “Path Racer” at times this of course did not phase the stout fellows of the GA or indeed the delectable ladies of the Basket Brigade.

As has been became a little tradition about ten miles in, after following the Mersey for a few miles we stopped at Chorlton Water Park for a little coffee stop, as this was a coffee van (all be it with exceptional coffee) and not the usual well stocked establishment we had taken the precaution of bringing a little bit of Lancashire Parkin (and maybe a little cognac) for warmth and fortification.

Fed, warmed and watered, off we set along the banks of the river before jumping off the banks and heading into the City proper, where ofter our country excursion Mr Lincstcq managed to pick up a thorn at the gates of Lancashire Cricket Club, the good news, Manchester United is only a few minutes away, to keep the London contingent happy Mrs Adam offered to take them to Old Trafford and show them where their home team plays while the puncture was repaired.

Time pressing on we turned our backs on The Theater of Dreams (with the exception of the London contingent who thought it was disrespectful who walked backwards bowing every few steps and at all times maintaining eye contact with the statue of Dennis Law), and so onto the Manchester Ship Canal.

What followed was one of those fortuitous events that seem to occur on our outings, a couple of street artists were preparing to put some new work on a warehouse wall, it also happened to be an ideal spot for a few photographs (incidentally Mr Cycling Photographer has very kindly offered to forward the portraits he has taken to any of the riders who would care for a copy). Obviously impeccably dressed chaps and chapesses riding bikes and youths with aerosol cans of paint only one thing can happen… a mutual photo session with one of the artist type fellows producing for the GA it’s very own “tag”.

Time, as ever pushing on, we left for lunch, this year we ate at The Whim Wham Cafe who serve food considerably better than their website and a gin cocktail list that roused considerable interest amongst several members of our party. A cocktail too many forced us to abandon part of the planned route but we still had time for a whistle stop tour of Manchester taking in the uber cool Northern Quarter, the celebration of English – German entendre cordial at the German Markets, Manchester Town Hall and the Midland Hotel.

By now the darkness had fully descended and we set our pedal powered ship for home taking the route of along an old rail line, a slight misunderstanding with table bookings resulted in a sprint across Stockport to the Red Bull for an evening of good food and drink accompanied by some of the most interesting singing from a professional singer the assembled riders had ever had the misfortune to hear. Credit must however be given to the thickness of the fellow’s skin when he received his reply to “Shall I sing a last song?”